Christian priest among nine killed in Iraqi violence

DPA Baghdad, April 5 (DPA) A priest, three civilians and five policemen were killed and 18 wounded in separate incidents in Iraq, media reports said Saturday. Security sources told the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency that three civilians were killed and 15 injured when a bomb targeted a bus containing 21 passengers in Baghdad.

In another incident, militants killed a Christian priest Youssef Adel of Mary Botrous church, as he left his home in Baghdad’s Senaa street, the VOI said.

In March, the Archbishop of Mosul, Paulos Faraj Rahho, was killed by gunmen who abducted him Feb 29.

Also in Baghdad, security sources told VOI that militants killed a police officer while he was driving his vehicle on a high way in Zeyona area.

In the Iraqi province of Diyala, border official Sarjal Abdul- Karim told VOI that four headless bodies of policemen were found in Khanaqin area.

Gunmen abducted the policemen in the early hours of Saturday, VOI said.

In the northern city of Kirkuk, police sources told VOI Saturday that a bomb went off targeting a patrol, resulting in the injury of three members of the patrol Friday.

The US military said it killed Friday two suspected terrorists and confiscated their weapons in the city of Samarra.

Also, a US helicopter struck the city of Basra, killing one suspected terrorist Friday, US military said.